Written in the Stars
by porcelaindakota
Summary: A past is a great and terrible thing...so Starfire learns when her own spirals out of her control. And so the Titans learn when one of their number disappears, and when an alien threat greater than any other sets its sights on Earth.
1. What He Doesn't Know

_I listened to a song and had to get this up. To readers—I probably won't actually continue this story for a good while, as I have two others to finish. And, on an unrelated note, every chapter in this story is inspired after songs. Some of the chapters will be named after them. Some you will know, others you will not. Some chapters may even have the lyrics in them. Here we go…chapter one._

* * *

(Starfire).

"_There are many things he does not know about me. _

_"Robin, I mean. He does know more than Cyborg or Beast Boy…but in many ways, that is not saying much. Robin is my closest confidant. He will always hold a special place in my heart…but I digress. _

"_What you are about to read…it is my story. It is the story of my trials, my hardships, and my pain. In some sections, it is the story of my joy…but it does not begin that way. My story does not begin that way at all…"_

* * *

(Eight years earlier…Tamaran).

_The sickening stench of blood was thick in the air, as nine-year-old Koriand'r ran through the hidden stairwells and corridors beneath the Imperial Palace, dragged along by her k'norfka, Galfore. _

_Tamaran was under attack by a vicious alien race known as the Citadel. They had conquered all of the planets in the Vegan Star System…except for Tamaran. And so, they were storming the castle, determined to cripple their final opponent once and for all. _

_Meanwhile, the royal family, excluding King Myand'r, who was supervising the battle upstairs, and Komand'r, who had been gone for several months, were fleeing for their lives as the battle for Tamaran raged overhead. Even through the nearly impenetrable stone and steel that made up the palace walls, Koriand'r could still manage to hear the screams of the wounded and dying. She couldn't help but wonder if she was next. _

_"Just a little further, my bungorf…we are almost there!" Galfore shouted, his voice engulfed in the cries of those in the palace above. Suddenly, the wall on Koriand'r's right blew apart. Koriand'r let out one cry of disbelief, and fell into Galfore's waiting arms. From behind the wall, Citadellians emerged, guns at the ready. _

_"Give us the princess," their leader said in his alien language. Galfore straightened and moved Koriand'r behind him, eyes narrowing. _

_"Never," he growled, preparing for battle. Tamaranian royal guardsman stepped out from all sides of the enormous man, also readying to defend the princess. _

_"You do not understand," the Citadellian returned. "We are taking her. If you value your life, or those of your warriors," he pointed at the surrounding guardsmen with his outstretched arm, "You will give us the girl." In response, Galfore leapt towards the alien, screaming out an incensed battle cry._

* * *

(Present).

"Starfire?" Starfire looked up from her musings to see Robin gazing at her questioningly. She had been so deep in her thoughts she had not even seen him enter the room, much less sit down next to her.

She smiled sweetly…deceivingly, she couldn't help thinking. "Yes, Robin?" He grinned back, obviously glad to see her change in demeanor, though his smile faltered when he spoke.

"What's wrong?" Starfire knew to act as if she was surprised by his instigation

"Friend, nothing is wrong! I simply became overly engrossed in the program of the television!" Starfire had been 'watching' her favorite show, _The World of Fungus. _Robin shook his head, and grabbed her hand lightly.

"Then what is this?" Starfire looked down at her hand, confused, and could not help but gasp when she saw the damage. It appeared that, during the midst of her thoughts, she had begun clenching her fist…hard. Her nails had dug into the flesh of her hand, going deeper than they would have on a normal human's, thanks to her superhuman strength. There was a deep, abrupt cut down the center of her palm, disrupting the silky landscape of the rest of her hand. Blood was flowing freely and dripping slowly onto her uniform, the couch, and Robin's hand.

"Just 'watching,' huh?" Robin said, staring at her intently, waiting for an answer which Starfire did not give.

Instead, she stood abruptly, causing Robin to fall back in surprise. "I must go, friend! I have just remembered…I have to, um…" Unable to think of an excuse, she fled from the room, leaving a miniscule trail of blood on the carpeting.

"Starfire! Wait!" Robin called after her, leaping up from the floor and beginning to give chase. But by the time he had reached her room, her door had been long since shut and locked.

Inside, Starfire was leaning against the door, panting heavily and clutching her hand against her bare stomach. It was no small feat to beat the Boy Wonder at sprinting, after all. After regaining her breath, the Tamaranian ventured into her bathroom, and opened a small drawer. She removed gauze and bandages and began to wrap her hand, while wondering how to calm Robin.

He would, no doubt, be worried. Which presented a problem to her…when Robin was worried, or anxious about _any_ of his teammates, not just Starfire, (though especially so with her), he would not stop at any lengths until he could put his worries at rest. And Starfire had no intention of telling him anything about her past. Especially not of the events that had transpired that night, or many of the nights thereafter.

Hard, heavy thumps came from the door to her room. _Robin…_she thought hazily. _He will wish to know if I am all right…help me with my bandage…_from there, her thoughts trailed off, and once again she was gone from Earth, no longer Starfire.

Now, she was 9 once again, on Tamaran, shortly after that awful night. Her father had just ended the war…

* * *

(Flashback)

_Her father had ended the war…_

"_But at what price?" many had asked. Their answer had come the next day, when King Myand'r had made a grand statement to all of the peoples of Tamaran: he had, in effect, traded his daughter for peace. _

_That was the cynical side of it. The actual deal was that in exchange for the royal hostage, Tamaran would be allowed to walk free. Koriand'r would act as a treaty, sealing an uncomfortable peace over the two great races of the Vegan Star System. _

_She was leverage. With Koriand'r as part of the Citadel, Tamaran would never take revenge upon the murderers that had destroyed half of their planet and warriors. _

_The announcement had come days ago. Now, Koriand'r was bidding her parents and brother, Ryand'r, goodbye. No tears showed as the tiny princess boarded the Citadel's ship, which would whisk her away from her family, and the only home she had ever known, into a life which would be…difficult, at best.Being aroyal hostage was not for the light of heart. _

_But it was the role life had assigned to her, and Koriand'r accepted it with dignity, as Galfore had taught her. Koriand'r was never one to sulk or to pity herself; it was simply not what she did. Galfore had instilled in her a sense of grace and character that she would carry with her until her death. _

_The hold door shut with a hiss, and the ship pulled away from its docking near the palace. Koriand'r gave one final wave to her family, which only Galfore and Ryand'r returned. The rest of them never had been much for affection, she reflected. _

_A Citadellian grabbed her roughly by the arm, and gestured for her to follow him. He led her to a room at the far end of the ship. Its corridor was entirely deserted, and its walls were adorned in paintings of Citadellians and other races in…considerable pain. The Citadellian pressed a button, and the door slid open slowly. Koriand'r stepped into the room, unsure. She was greeted with a face she hadn't seen in over two years…_

* * *

(Present)

"Star, open up!" Starfire shook her head, clearing her senses slightly, and looked around herself. She was back in her room, on her bathroom floor. She supposed she must have fallen during her reverie…

"Star, open the door, or I'm kicking it down!" The tense quality of Robin's tone jerked Starfire all the way back into reality, and she painstakingly raised herself from the tiled floor. Evidently, she was too late.

There was a loud, crashing sound from her bedroom, and her door fell to the ground with a metallic clanging noise. Robin entered, his expression stormy, and purposefully strode over to Starfire in no more than four steps.

He grabbed her by the arm. "We're taking you to the infirmary. Now." He was scowling profusely, and his fist was clenched.

"Robin, I have no need. See?" Starfire held up her already-bandaged hand, waving it slowly in the air. "I am fine, Robin. You must calm down!" Starfire decided this would be a good point upon which to turn the conversation.

"This stress, Robin…it is not good for you. If you keep this up, you shall lose your gangva to the thimbars!" Her words caused him to grin slightly, and his grip to relax. Starfire knew she had control, and continued. She glanced pointedly out the window, pasting a wistful smile on her face. Robin noticed, and turned to look at the horizon outside, which had turned a beautiful burning orange due to the onset of dusk.

Robin grinned even wider, Starfire's coaxing allowing the tribulations of earlier to be forgotten. "Wanna go watch the sunset?" Starfire nodded enthusiastically, and completely genuinely. It was no secret she loved watching the sunset with Robin.

Starfire grabbed his hand, now forgetting her terrors from earlier. "Please, let us hurry! We may not be able to witness all of it!" Robin blushed slightly at the contact, but squeezed her hand as he pulled her out of the door, his cape fluttering behind them. He would die before admitting it, but he was strangely eager whenever an opportunity to watch _anything_ with Star came around.

* * *

(Deep Space…Earth orbit).

The astronaut cried out in pain as the claws of the alien cut through his suit, and down to his unprotected skin. His cries ceased, however, when the same claws slashed through his airline, leaving him tethered to the outside of the space station, lifeless.

Inside, the intruders quickly incapacitated the crew and skulked to the control room, to the hub of the main computer. Their leader's claws flew over the keyboard, and an overview of the space station came to the screen, one section highlighted and flashing brightly. The alien put a claw to the screen pensively, slowly drawing his scaly finger over the console. Then, he turned to the others and issued a command in his native tongue.

In less than ten minutes, all of the station's weaponry, communications devices, and memory databases had been uprooted from their place and moved into the intruder's ship. The aliens had loaded themselves back onto their ship, leaving the wounded astronauts on the spaces station.

Once all of his crew was loaded on board, the lead alien masterfully guided his ship, which, throughout all of this, had gone undetected, away from the station. His legion had disabled all of the station's support systems…the astronauts would be dead within the hour. It would be days before NASA would realize something was wrong.

Chortling under his breath at the Earthlings' stupidity, the commander eased back in his chair and redirected his attention to the stations' stolen memory bases.

Perhaps they would be useful in locating the girl.

_

* * *

I just had to get this up…it will be a while before it's updated. Thanks for reading, and please review!_


	2. Slashed

**Part 1: Prologue **

**Chapter 2: Slashed**

* * *

(All of the Titans)

Beast Boy stood at the front of the room, with a very characteristic, lopsided grin across his face. "Ladies and gentlemen! It is…move night! Before we preview tonight's selection, may I suggest that if you are of weak constitution, that you leave the room!" The changeling then turned to his robotic companion. "Take it, Cyborg!"

Cyborg cleared his throat and shoved Beast Boy to the side. "For tonight's movie night," he spoke in a Boris Karloff sort of tone, "we will be watching the _creepiest, scariest, _most _terrifying _movie ever! I give you…Slashed!" Cyborg rubbed his hands together gleefully.

Beast Boy jumped in again. "By the time this movie is over, you will be _freaked out _so bad, you'll have to—" Raven, tired of all the hype, simply encased him and Cyborg in her magical bonds and threw them to the side of the screen. Robin then got up and placed the movie into the DVD player, as Cyborg and Beast Boy, grumpy that their moment had been ruined, slunk to the couch. When Robin sat back down, Starfire scooted slightly closer to him.

He looked at her, slightly surprised. "If this movie is as horrifying as the last," she whispered, looking embarrassed, "Then I believe I may be in need of your assistance once again." Robin chuckled and slipped his arm around her, resulting in slight blushes from both of the teen heroes.

* * *

(Later—midway through the movie).

_Beast Boy was right…_Robin thought. _This is creepy. _So far, the movie had mainly encompassed people being randomly killed by these giant mutant alligator-looking aliens. While there really was no plot to speak of, the sheer number of individual death-scenes were usually preluded by a scene in which the aliens would hunt down their victim. The stalking scenes were the scariest.

Feeling a slight pressure on his arm, Robin turned and looked at Starfire, who was holding on for dear life.

She was clutching his arm extremely tightly, but her eyes had not left the screen. Her pupils, strangely enough, had dilated, and she seemed detached and far away…like she wasn't really seeing the movie. Her eyes had lost their emerald glow and had gone gray and damp…lifeless. Robin was reminded with a chill of her presence of thought from the day previously.

Not entirely reassured, Robin turned back to the movie screen. Right now, the aliens were about to finish off one of the main characters. They were some kind of sewer or cellar (Robin hadn't been watching closely enough to notice) and three of the aliens had backed their prey into the wall. Then, one of the aliens raised its giant claws, and while the others held the man down, slashed through his throat and face in one blow.

The movie was fairly gory—every time someone died, the directors made sure to show every detail of it. This time, they zoomed in on the man's face, which was still wide-eyed in shock and terror. Blood was gushing from his wounds in his face and throat, and he…

Starfire let out a mangled cry and suddenly leapt up from the couch and flew away. Robin immediately sat up, as did the others.

They all turned to face each other, as Cyborg paused the movie.

"She was probably just freaked out, like I said," Beast Boy paused for a moment. "I mean, lots of people die in this movie and stuff…" Robin said nothing, but mulled the facts over in his mind…he couldn't help but think of the incident from the day before, which the other Titans knew nothing of.

"I'll go talk to her. You guys can keep watching," Robin said grimly, as he jumped over the back of the chair and left the room in a swishing of his cape.

* * *

(Starfire).

Starfire locked the door behind her, and crouched behind her bed. The darkness of her room calmed her somehow.

The movie…it had been like she was there again…the aliens had looked just like them…Starfire inhaled sharply and grabbed a fistful of her curtains. She was shaking uncontrollably as she leaned against her cool wall, silent tears pouring down her face. These were by far some of her worst memories…

"Starfire?" Robin's voice came from the other side of her locked door. Starfire attempted to wipe her face down, and then, deciding it was useless, floated over to the door and opened it.

Robin immediately stepped inside and shut it behind him. "Star, what's going on? Yesterday, and now this—" he looked at her face, and his eyes widened slightly. "You've been crying."

"Robin, it is truly nothing," Starfire said, trying to regain her consolatory tone. "I was simply upset by the movie, that is all." She gave him a weak grin, which he did not return.

"Do you want to do something else? To get your mind off of it? We could…" Starfire shook her head slowly.

"Robin, right now I merely wish to rest." Robin nodded slowly as she turned from him and crawled under her covers.

He stared at her for a moment, enchanted, as her fiery hair spread out over the pillow. "Robin?" Her voice snapped him out of his reverie, and he kneeled next to her bed.

Robin smiled. "Anything I can do to help?" Starfire's eyes flashed with excitement, and she grabbed his hand.

She smiled. "Sing to me. Please?" Robin opened his mouth to disagree at once, but by then she had turned over on her mattress and had propped herself up on her elbow, smiling dreamily at him. Her eyes had softened, and were pleading with him to do their bidding.

Robin sighed in defeat. "What song?" Starfire grinned and shook her head.

"Robin, I do not know. The singer always chooses the song," she stated, as if it were fact. "You must choose…since I am going to slumber, perhaps a lullaby?" Robin thought for a moment…he didn't really know any songs. The last person who had really sang to him was his mother, when he was small. But that had been years ago; he didn't remember any of it.

Except…

Robin smiled shyly. "I'm not very good," he mumbled, "and I don't know any good songs." Starfire merely watched in amusement as he floundered.

Then he cleared his throat. "Okay, um…"

"_Are you far away from home  
this dark and lonely night—"_

His voice was one of a man; it was deep and rich. It crackled slightly, which made Starfire want to giggle, but at the same time, it was filled with his unknown past. In his voice there were secrets that she was never meant to know.

"_Tell me what best would help  
to ease your mind"_

Starfire shut her eyes and leaned back onto her pillow, allowing sleep to slowly overtake her in a whirl of darkness and exhaustion and Robin's voice.

"_Someone to give  
Direction for this unfamiliar road  
or one who says, "follow me and I  
Will lead you home."_

Robin finished quietly, and fixed his gaze on the now slumbering Starfire. He touched the back of his hand to her cheek, stroking it softly.

"Good night," he whispered, soundlessly leaving the room.

* * *

(Starfire—late that night).

She tossed and turned in her sleep, moaning softly in remembered pain. She kicked the covers off of her and began twitching and thrashing ceaselessly…

_After her first day aboard the Citadel's ship, it had become evident who had betrayed Tamaran—and Koriand'r—to them. _

_Blackfire, or Komand'r, as she had been called, had left Tamaran years earlier, angered at being passed over for the throne in favor of Koriand'r. No one had known where she had gone; now it was apparent that she had taken refuge with the Citadel, and obtained a position of leadership among them. Komand'r had been the one to call for the so-called 'treaty' between Tamaran and the Citadel. _

_She had taken her revenge upon her sister one step further; she had exiled her into slavery under the Gordanians, a vicious race that lived in the center of the Vegan Star System, and was constantly at war with neighboring planets. _

_Koriand'r was now in her third agonizing year of enslavement to the Gordanians. She maintained hope that she would one day be either rescued or would manage to escape. Her hopes were slimming, however…things looked bleak. At the moment, her head was not filled with fanciful ideas of escape—instead, she was entirely focused on the task at hand. _

_Koriand'r's cautious work was disrupted, as she felt a strong, scaly hand upon her arm. Her 'master,' a particularly crude Gordanian, slammed her against the wall. He bared his fangs at her, driving her harder into the cold concrete. The muscular alien then unsheathed his claws, grappling them a few inches from her face and throat. His heavy, heaving breaths were laden with the stench of Gordanian alcohol. Koriand'r's eyes widened in fear as the alien flung her against a concrete beam, nearby in the darkened hallway. Her master crept closer and closer, his eyes gaining a murderous sheen as he advanced. _

"Star! C'mon, girl, what's going on?"

"…she's going into shock…"

"DUDE! Raven, what's—"

"Raven, stop it! Whatever's going on, stop it!"

_When he was only feet from her, a shadow leapt between them. "Leave her alone!" Koriand'r peered through her tightly shut eyes to see her new mother-figure from the slave camps, a woman named Hy'zzon. _

_Koriand'r's master stared, shocked at the interruption for a moment, and then bared his teeth and claws at the heavyset slave. _

_Then, in one fluid motion, he slashed her throat. _

* * *

(Present)

"Starfire! Star, wake up! Raven, do something!" Robin was panicking, shaking the shrieking Tamaranian girl by her shoulders…nothing was working.

Raven moved in, placing her hands on Starfire's forehead. "Out of my way! Azarath…metrion…zinthos." Immediately, both hers and Starfire's eyes were alight with her dark energy, and Starfire ceased her bizarre cringing and shaking.

A moment, later, she awakened.

"Friends? What…what is happening? I do not feel like myself…" Robin frowned next to her, as Cyborg and Beast Boy grabbed her from underneath her shoulder and heaved her to her feet, helping her to stagger to the med bay, where she promptly threw up.

Meanwhile, Robin held Raven back. She looked at him expectantly, putting her hands on her hips—a silent gesture telling him to hurry up.

"Raven," he began, his face darkening, "do you think that…that Slade could be behind this?" Raven shook her head, knowing how Robin had drawn that conclusion. But she knew this had come from within Starfire.

"Starfire wasn't under the influence of _anything. _No psychotics or hallucinogens…not like when Slade tricked you, Robin," Robin shuddered internally, remembering the incident when Slade had poisoned his mind into believing that he was hunting him down. "Whatever Starfire was dreaming about…it wasn't because of any outside influence. If you have Cyborg scan her, you'll see that for yourself." Robin nodded, his eyes narrowing.

"Thank you," he said quietly, and walked away from her into the shadows.

_

* * *

Reviewer Replies:  
Atemu's Lover: I'm glad you liked it...please keep reviewing!_

_Blue Ten: Thanks, dude...it's sad how neglected Star's past is on fanfiction...it's great fodder for stories, but no one really uses it. Thanks for the review!_

_Clueless90: Thanks! Sorry if my review wasn't soon...but it's updated, right?_

_Darkangelchic: Wow, awesome review! Thanks for all the positive feedback...I'll be looking for your reviews! Thanks again!_

_Koriand'rX'hal: I don't really know much about comics...I just got on It's all there, they have like 10 million pages on Star. Thanks for the review!_

_StarfireXxXRobin: HA your review made me laff too HA thanks for the review HA:)_

_Tigerchic121: Funny how the titles work out. My other story, 'Ace in the Hole,' turns out to be a Batman Beyond title. Thanks for the review!_


	3. Espionage

**Part I: Prologue**

**Chapter III: Espionage**

_

* * *

The voices came to her in a haze; she heard them drunkenly through the thin veil that separated her from consciousness, as she floated haphazardly between indefinite sleep and awakening._

_"We got a call…we have to go. Now." That was most definitely Raven. Who could mistake the Goth's trademark monotone?_

_"We can't just leave her here!" Now Robin was speaking, sounding slightly angered. He obviously did not wish to leave. "She's unconscious! Hallucinating, for all we know!"_

_"Then wake her up." Cyborg's voice came through as frustrated, most likely fed up with the Boy Wonder's refusal to leave. "It's not gonna hurt her—all of her biometrics are normal again."_

_Robin spoke again: "I don't think—Beast Boy! Don't poke her!" And indeed, she felt a strange jabbing at the place where she assumed her shoulder was, as Robin began to reprimand the changeling for waking her. Suddenly, the sensation vanished, and she was left adrift again, feeling her tie back to consciousness slip away ever so slowly, back into her world of mist and fog, where time trickled by so slowly that it made the air heavy and thick, like smoke, so that it weighed her down and she constantly felt that she was about to fall further. _

_But just before she fell completely, she felt something like the poking—but sharper, more urgent. And then, something hot and unwelcome flooded through her, and she felt herself being jerked upward by something far more powerful than herself._

* * *

(Titans Tower).

Starfire heard Cyborg once again, but this time infinitely clearer as the room spun around her, the colors painfully bright and different from the muted hues of her subconscious.

"Pantophyn…always works," the android grinned, holding up an alarmingly sharp needle filled with amber liquid.

Robin's face jutted in front of hers, his normally handsome features sharp and anxious. "Are you okay?" His voice was also sharper. "You need to rest some more—you can go back to sleep, skip this mission. It's not that…"

Starfire shook her head, her first cognitive response since her medication induced awakening, and sat up unsurely in the bed. She swung her legs over the side, and, as Robin rushed to move her back, she slipped her hand onto his shoulder and smiled weakly.

"Friend, I am feeling…most well at the moment. I am fine to proceed with this mission." He then opened his mouth to retort; luckily, Raven stepped in and saved the situation.

Petite stature aside, Raven was currently looking rather menacing, her hands on her hips and scowling profusely at Robin. He glared back just as intensely as she moved him aside and helped Starfire up.

"I really don't think—"

"I will only say this once, Robin: shut up."

He seemed stunned by the bluntness of her remark, and, surprisingly, bothered to heed it as the others slowly trickled out of the med bay, Starfire last, turning and looking at him quizzically as she left him behind.

Robin turned and passed one last, furtive glance over the room, taking in the bed, with its overturned sheets and pillow; the wires and scanners that Starfire had just been hooked up to; and lastly, the computer screen, on which her vital signs were still prominently displayed, and a strand of DNA was twirling silently.

He ducked his head and left the room, still regretting allowing her to come.

* * *

(Space—T Ship).

Starfire gazed out of her cockpit window, serene and recovered from her previous ordeal, and now taking in the soulless abyss of space. Though she had spent nearly her entire life traveling through it, she had never ceased to be mystified by this dark plain that seemed to be continually stretching... endless.

She activated her comm. link, turning so that she faced Cyborg's pod. She had awoken late after the distress signal had come in…too late to be briefed. "Friend, where is it that we are going? Surely not another planet?"

The metallic teen chuckled slightly and turned his one human eye on her. "We got a call in from one of the government's satellites…something about an intrusion. That—" he said, pointing at a large, looming structure ahead of the T-ship, "is where we're going."

Starfire nodded, though still slightly confused, and turned her heavy gaze upon the huge satellite. The…_Freedom_, she read, smiling in spite of herself at the obviously American name. It was an impressive structure, and, as she recalled reading, one of the largest and most secretive of the United States satellites, supposedly able to gather intelligence from around the world within seconds, and having its own small fleet of CIA agents that reported their findings solely to the satellite's crew. In other words, it was a place that the government would most definitely not want broken into.

And one that was seemingly impossible to intrude on—the only thing more renowned in the technological field than the _Freedom_'s intelligence-gathering equipment was its security. It was a marvel; its defense systems were legend among techno-buffs everywhere. There was a rumor that it even had its very own "mini-army" of androids, and firepower equivalent to several tanks. There were even whisperings of nuclear power aboard the mysterious satellite. The American people heralded the _Freedom _as their greatest defense; other countries looked up to the skies at night and shivered, expecting death from above. At one point, there had even been talk of a UN sanction to force the United States to either disable the _Freedom _or share its contents with other world powers. Luckily, it was merely talk.

The T-ship began its final approach, easing towards the _Freedom_'s gates steadily. It was at this precise moment that the Titans caught their first glimpse of the damage done to the hulking satellite's exterior.

There were various burns and battle scars scattered all across the _Freedom_, marring its imposing metallic surface. Dents also abounded, and, though they appeared less frequently, appeared to be in worse locations—Starfire heard Cyborg whisper something about the generators being compromised. Finally, there was a huge, gaping hole on the side of the satellite, by far causing the most damage. All along the fringes of the crater, there were massive amounts of twisted and scalded metal, bent disturbingly out of shape.

Suddenly, the gate to what the Titans presumed was the landing bay began to crawl open, and they began to steer the T-ship inside.

As they touched down and began disabling their space-borne support systems, they were greeted with a strange array of space men, who entered the landing bay slowly, still clad in astronaut uniforms, though the gates had closed, and any need for the suits was gone. They approached the Titans slowly, as if the Titans had come of their own accord, and not been called.

Then one of them removed his helmet, revealing short, cropped, graying hair, covering a severe, bony face and piercing gray eyes. The man was most likely in his early sixties; he had the gait of an elderly man, but his expressions were still sharp and alert. He nodded sternly at the Titans, extending his hand to Robin, who shook it firmly.

"Colonel Banks," he said, glancing over all of the Titans, though still seeming to speak to Robin. "Thank you for responding so quickly."

Robin nodded, not bothering to introduce either himself or his team. "Why did you call us here, Colonel?"

"You mean you couldn't figure it out, just seeing how the _Freedom_'s been compromised? I thought you were the detective."

Robin scowled. "Let me rephrase that—we already _know _someone's broken into the satellite; we want to know why you called _us, _who broke in, what's missing, and what exactly you expect us to do about it." He spat out the sentence, his eyes narrowing behind his mask. Who the hell did this guy think he was?

The Colonel did not respond, but simply gestured for the Titans to follow him.

They entered the massive interior of the satellite, which was just as scarred and destroyed as the inside, with the exception of one small thing…

"Pee-yew," Beast Boy pinched his fingers together on his nose, scrunching his eyes together. "What's that smell?"

The Colonel didn't even look his way. "Blood. Deception. Alien treachery. Intergalactic espionage." He continued on, as the Titans stopped, staring at the seemingly insane man, in the hallway. "However you look at it, it's death all the same."

"Yo, man, what's goin' on?" Cyborg grabbed the Colonel by the shoulder, forcefully turning him around, as Robin frantically gestured for him to stop. "First, you give us some whacked out distress call, saying that a _computer _was stolen. Then, you _order _us, with all of your supreme military might, to get our butts up here. Finally, we actually get up here, and it turns out there's dead people involved?" Colonel Banks simply stared at him blankly. "We're not CIA agents, or government assassins, or…whatever else y'all got goin' on up here. We don't catch spies, we—"

"It wasn't a spy," Colonel Banks interrupted. "Whoever did this didn't have a thing to do with the government. If they had, they wouldn't have blasted in with an _alien weapon, _now would they?" Starfire froze at the mention of aliens. "We've analyzed the debris left from the holes on the _Freedom_'s exterior—whatever melted it didn't have an energy signature known to exist on Earth. Which only leaves _aliens, _sir." He then drew away from Cyborg, who by now had gone completely slack-jawed. "We figured your team would have more expertise in the matter than a Congress investigation."

Raven cocked an eyebrow questioningly. "Does Congress even know about this?"

"No." Colonel Banks eyes her, his eyes like steel. "This is our little secret. We're not planning on the American people ever having to know. And they won't have to, as long as your team retrieves the stolen intelligence, and puts whoever was responsible to justice."

"American justice?" Raven asked dryly. "Or military justice? You seem to have very different concepts of both of them." At this, the Colonel drew himself up, and one could literally see the steam coming out of his ears.

"Now John," a cool voice came from behind them. "We wouldn't want to lose our temper." The Titans spun to face a small, calculating man, emerging from another room behind them.

Robin stepped forward. "And you are…?" The man nodded, and extended his hand. Robin chose not to shake it.

"I'm Benjamin Taylor, aid to the director of the Central Intelligence Agency." Robin eyed him coolly, expecting a similar reception to that of Colonel Banks.

"Good to meet you," he said slowly, "Now, if we can stop the social hour, can we get back on the subject of the mission?" Behind him, the other Titans nodded, eager to leave the satellite and the strange military men behind.

"Of course," Taylor replied smoothly. "Follow me. You too, Colonel." Colonel Banks scowled and began to trail behind the smaller man, in front of the Titans. Their footsteps clanked softly on the steel tiled floors as they followed the two men deeper and deeper into the bowels of the satellite. More than once they passed bloodstains and clawmarks, both etched deep into the metal walls of the satellite.

Finally, they reached an unmarked, heavy doorway. Taylor leaned into a panel on the door and opened his eyes wide. Immediately, the retina scanner activated, and the door opened.

Inside was the worst damage that they had seen on any part of the ship. Though there was no human carnage, the ripped clothing and shredded steel told a violent, horrific story all their own.

All around the circumference of the room, the walls were entirely covered in computers and surveillance devices, enough technology to make Cyborg drool. "What exactly was stolen?" Robin asked. The current abundance of computers was… suspicious. Nothing really appeared missing. Then, although Robin had been speaking to Taylor, it was Colonel Banks that answered.

"Everything!" Banks said, his hand colliding into an empty shelf. "Everything important!" Taylor rushed forward to calm him, but the military man wove him off, clenching and unclenching his fists, one of his eyebrows twitching. "The security devices, the database, the cannon—"

"Hold it," Raven said, in the same instance Robin cried out, "What?" She looked at him for a moment, and then he stepped forward and took the lead.

"What type of cannon?" Robin said slowly, eyeing the Colonel cautiously, as if he were a bomb about to explode.

Colonel Banks walked to the nearest window, staring at the stars for a moment before he spoke. "It's a shuttle-based cannon, powered by solar energy. Basically a giant laser, except that it's powered by the radiation emitted from the sun. Far more powerful, however," he faced the Titans again, "than a nuclear bomb."

"So it's imperative that we get it back."

The Colonel looked Robin square in the eye. "Bingo. And know you know why we don't tell the American people about anything in this place."

"Please," Starfire asked, her voice wavering as Colonel Banks stared her down, "how are we to track the extra-terrestrials? Were there any clues?"

Robin put a hand on her shoulder, silencing her. "Can we speak to the personnel that were on board? They might be able to—"

"The personnel," the Colonel interrupted, "are all dead." "These 'things' that broke in didn't want to leave any witnesses." Starfire wrapped her arms around herself worriedly; how many alien races had she known that had been this violent? Robin looked at her oddly for a moment… she avoided his eyes.

"This will sound morbid," Raven broke in, "but can we see the bodies? If you could let Cyborg run an analysis on them, maybe we could find something to help us track their killers."

Colonel Banks snorted. "No way. Those bodies are property of the U.S. Government, and are already under lock and key in a freezer in Guam. Unless the Justice Department decides it would prefer for you to run the analysis, you're out of luck." A tiny blue vein began to pulse in Raven's temple. She was already considering many demonic forms of torture for this grating excuse of a man.

She clenched her teeth. "Is there anything that we actually have permission to look at? Or are we going to have to join the army just to finish this investigation?"

Colonel Banks turned a violent shade of purple, and stepped directly into Raven's face. But, before he could speak, Taylor saved the situation yet again. He held the Colonel off at an arm's length as he spoke: "There is one more thing we'd like you to see—the aliens left some sort of mark in the control room…we don't really know what to make of it. Perhaps with your expertise on extra-terrestrial races—" he nodded congenially at Starfire, "it could even direct us to the thieves."

Starfire nodded. "I would be honored to assist you," she said meekly, attempting to make up for Raven and Banks's spat. Taylor, seemingly taking no notice of her overly friendly tone, gave her an emotionless half-smile, then grasped Colonel Banks by his sleeve and directed him towards an opening to another hallway.

The Titans again followed the two men down a long, steel hallway. This time, however, their trip was not nearly so long. The control panel, being the epicenter of the entire satellite, was relatively close by.

Starfire and Cyborg together pulled the doors apart—their mechanical locks had been disabled, apparently—and strode forward into the room.

One wall had been entirely stripped of its computers, monitors, and machinery, and in its place, the blank wall was adorned with a strange, ornate crest…

…Which was painted in blood.

_

* * *

Apparently, we're not allowed to respond to reviewers anymore—so I'll just say a collective thanks to all of you. If you have any questions, don't worry; I'll PM you. This chapter was a little cut and dry—but it's a little important. It sets up a lot of the future plot and all that fun stuff. Sorry I haven't updated in so long—gotta love the high school basketball season. Till next time!_

Also--please review. I really have mixed feelings on this chapter. Thank you!

_Adios!_

_-sugarland31_


	4. Desperate Measures

_Remember what happened at the end of chapter 3? The Titans discovered the crest made of blood on the space station wall…_

* * *

Starfire recognized the crest, of course. Even after all the years that had passed, it still blazed, bright and satanic, in the back of her memory. She had spent so much time living under it that it would be impossible to forget. She had spent too much time fearing it.

She realized she should tell her friends about the seal. She knew she should tell them everything she knew about this particularly vicious and tyrannical race.

But she didn't.

There was no rational reason; she simply didn't want to. Logically, Starfire knew it would be prudent to divulge every single dark secret she knew of the crest. But in the back of her mind, there was a tiny, nagging doubt—an intuition. And it clearly said _don't do it. No matter what, don't do it. _

So she didn't. She had always been more of a creature of emotion and impulse than logic anyway; what would one more impulse hurt?

Starfire was careful to keep all emotion from her face as she turned to her friends. As she ripped herself away from the crest, four pairs of eyes (not counting the government men; she had decided she preferred to ignore them) bored into her, begging her to spill her heart and her memories of the sinister meaning of the seal.

But she didn't.

Instead, she lied.

"I have never seen this before," she said, her voice quiet and awestruck. She was actually quite a good actress. "It is most definitely not of the Vegan system." She attempted to make herself visibly deflate, to let her disappointment personify itself. "I regret my inability to assist you," she said, lowering her eyes.

"Don't worry 'bout it," Cyborg said, cocking her a tiny grin. "I'll see if I can get a hit on the master scanner back in the Tower."

Taylor adjusted his glasses. The grey eyes that were revealed were keen and penetrating, and, though they were not pointed at Cyborg, were cold enough to send a chill through his spine. "Master scanner?" The CIA man asked.

Cyborg smirked; time to show this yuppie up. If they had the nerve to diss his tech, he would spit it all back in their faces. "Yup. I've installed a hard drive that can contact and search through any information database in the…fairly nearby galaxy. Around 40 light-years or so," he finished proudly.

Taylor nodded, as did Banks. Neither looked impressed.

Meanwhile, Starfire had yet again tuned out—master scanner? This was a new weapon in Cyborg's technological arsenal…and it would be a real problem. If it really worked as he said it did…

…then he would know that the seal was indeed from the Vegan System. And, more importantly, he would know that she, Starfire, had lied. He would know that she had covered up evidence. Huge amounts of evidence.

So she would stop him from using the scanner. How, she did not know. But she would. It would not be the first time she had violated a friend to save herself.

Even though her conscience protested, Starfire insisted: _it is not the 'big deal'. The seal is most likely not important. _

Despite the fact that she knew it was. Despite the fact that Starfire knew the horrors that this tiny little seal was capable of unleashing, the holocausts it had laid upon countless other civilizations.

The rest of the meeting wrapped up in a haze before her mind; she saw Robin shaking hands with Banks and Taylor, promising to keep in touch; she mindlessly followed the others back into the T-ship; listlessly, she reported that the "defensive systems are at maximum!"

But she wasn't really paying attention.

Her mind was in tumult—to tell or not to tell? Yes, if she told, Earth could most likely defend itself against what was possibly the greatest evil in the galaxy. Yes, if she told, she would not be forced to violate her friends' trust, nor those of the people she protected.

But if she didn't tell…

Instantly, a flood of memories crashed down upon her. Starfire pushed them away, ignoring the waves of raw emotion that had been swept up.

If she didn't tell, she could pretend it never happened. And in her mind, that would _always _be reason enough.

And it was not only herself that she was protecting, Starfire reasoned. She had not been the only being that had been violated. And that other being…would definitely not like their past in the open. Especially if revealed by Starfire. There was already enough bitterness there without bringing up the past.

And so, Starfire decided to lie. She decided to deceive her friends; to make them think that there was no real threat, at least none that they could tell…she decided to make them think that she was still innocent Starfire, and that she had never been so terribly marred as to permanently cloud her thinking and her conscience this severely.

The ride back to the Tower was relatively short, as Cyborg was eager to get back and try out his new scanner for the first time.

But how to delay him…

What would he leave his scanner for? The first thought that came to Starfire's mind was food, but she quickly rejected that idea. Cyborg, though a pig at times, was so enamored with his technology that he would not eat for days at a time if forced to.

But what else was there? Nothing would distract him from his technology…nothing.

Except more technology, Starfire thought, smiling at her own brilliance. And even better than just technology…his baby. The T-car.

The T-ship landed smoothly and without trouble. The Titans disembarked, Beast Boy taking off to the Gamestation, Raven to her room. Robin immediately headed to his computer, and Cyborg…to the bathroom, luckily enough. Apparently he would also keep away from his computer for his bladder.

With the other Titans gone, Starfire instantly stalked out the T-car, slipping inside silently. Fortunately enough, Cyborg did not believe in locking the car when it was inside the garage, and Starfire did not have to melt the locks.

She slid across the spacious seats inside and studied the control panel before her. So many buttons…

She sat for a moment, musing over her options. Of course, she could simply just starbolt the car…but that would be messy and too easily traced. The others would know it was her.

She eased open the glove box and was rewarded with a small toolbox. Eyes narrowed in concentration, Starfire unscrewed the entire front of the control panel; it dropped off, and Starfire rushed to catch it before it could make enough noise to attract the others.

And then…she studied the toolbox again. And removed a pair of scissors.

She then cut every wire in reach, and stabbed a few holes in every microchip she saw. Within a few minutes, her task was complete. She had no time to sit back and survey her handiwork, however—she had to get Cyborg in here and away from the scanner.

Quickly, Starfire disposed of the toolbox, tucking it in the miniscule storage compartment in the R-cycle. Robin did not use it; it would be months before the box was discovered.

Then, she turned and flew hurriedly into the Tower, bursting into Cyborg's room. The metallic teen practically fell out of his chair in surprise. Starfire scanned the scene; Cyborg clutched a CD in his hand. But, since he hadn't come to find her and accuse her of lying to the Titans, she could guess that he hadn't read anything on it yet.

"Star, is everything all right?" He asked nervously. Truthfully, this unnerved him slightly—Star had _never _burst into his room like this, not in all of their years living together.

"Cyborg—there is something wrong with the T-car!" Starfire gushed, willing herself to look near tears. "I was walking past, and I realized that it was horribly, horribly damaged!" She silently prayed to X'hal for Cyborg to buy it, and not arouse suspicion to herself.

It appeared that X'hal was watching over Starfire. "Somethin's wrong with my baby?" Cyborg said, leaping up and racing out of the room, leaving the tiny silver disc behind. Starfire picked it up with slim, porcelain fingers and silently left the room, avoiding the other Titans, who were already rushing to Cyborg's aid. Once she reached her room, she slipped it inside her forlorn Tamaranian knapsack, snapping it shut decisively. Then, she crossed the room to her communication panel. Robin had once had it installed specially for her.

She booted it up, waiting as it transmitted a signal to its twin console, 26 light-years away. Starfire waited anxiously, pacing as it made contact. Finally, she looked up and saw a familiar alien face.

She turned, putting on her "brave" expression. "Princess Koriand'r requesting permission to speak with Emperor Galfore," she said in flawless Tamaranian.

_

* * *

Well, I know it's not so long—but I felt like I had to get something up. So, anyway, please review, and…I'm SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING! Forgive me? I'm hoping my updates will get more regular from now on._

_And…we can't really reply to reviewers anymore on the story. So I'll probably PM reviewers. Gracias!_

_--sugarland31_


	5. Author's Notice

I'm sorry that this has come so late.

I'll be honest; I'm completely and totally neglecting this story, along with Ace in the Hole and Endgame. I doubt that either Endgame or Written in the Stars will be finished. Since there's only a few chapters left of Ace in the Hole, I'm going to attempt to make it my final completed piece of Teen Titans fiction.

That said, if any readers would like to talk to me about taking over either Written in the Stars or Endgame, please PM me immediately, so I can talk it over with you and perhaps give you a basic plot outline. I may still get a chapter or two more of Written in the Stars up, if I'm feeling inspired over spring break.

It's just that…since TT has ended, I've felt myself becoming less and less inspired to write for it. Recently, I've latched onto Avatar: the Last Airbender, and I would also like to free myself up to write a multi-chapter for it.

Once again, I'm so so sorry about all of this. If I really felt I could finish my stories, I would. I just feel that I either would never finish or that I wouldn't do the story, and you, my readers, justice.

So please PM/review about this. I'm so sorry, and I really hope one of you guys will pick up at least one of my stories.

-sugarland31

**P.S:** I'm considering changing my penname, too. If so, I'll become thunder713.


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